Pink Wedding Days | Gay Marriage and Civil Partnerships Blog

I Left My Husband for The Au Pair by Michele Macfarlane is the author's own candid account of leaving a safe, loving relationship with a man to be with the woman she'd employed to care for the children.  It's the story of a woman discovering her own sexuality at the cost of a secure and stable family life. It's hard not to like Michele both as an author and as a central character. Her friendly, conversational tone treats the reader as a confident rather than an observer and, despite the difficult choices she makes to secure her own happiness, it's a story that's easy to invest in. It's a very personal account (and it comes with an explicit content warning on the jacket) but the sex scenes, whilst intimate, are written with a natural honesty rather than titillation. They reflect, too, the rather tender issue of body image and self-confidence and I imagine that many women, lesbian or not, will relate to Michele's reluctance to appear totally uncloth...

*This post was updated July 30th 2015* The service  was delightful. The brides looked divine. The grooms were as handsome as you’ve ever seen them. You made small talk with the mother-in-law, buried your face in the order of service when everyone was  hugging , and mouthed hello to someone you vaguely remember from the hag do.  Now, you’re standing in the car park and everyone’s hanging around before the reception, but you don’t have anyone to talk to. Or maybe, you are with people you know. Maybe you’re laughing all the way to the reception until – ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? – You read the place settings only to realise that you’re sitting on a table with people you don’t know. Suddenly, you can’t kick your shoes off under the table; you can’t bury your face in the salmon starter, and you can’t do that party trick with a glass of water, a penny and the tablecloth. Well, you could... Oh, but THANK THE STARS , at least there’s wine. Being polite shoul...

You might remember that we recently launched our Pink Paradise Travel Club  because what's the next best thing after the wedding day? The honeymoon, of course.  And when you're in a same-sex relationship it's important to be aware of the different cultural attitudes towards homosexuality. Air travel may have made the world smaller, but in some places the attitudes are very different to those that we've come to expect in the UK.  So, if you're looking for a honeymoon destination, it's worth doing a bit of background research. In May 2014, The Guardian reported that more than 2.7 billion people live in countries where homosexuality is a crime . This means that a considerable portion of the planet is either unavailable, inadvisable or potentially problematic for same-sex couples. It isn't all bad news however... Back in March of this year, ABTA announced a list of the top-ten gay friendly destinations: Brighton, UK Puerto Vallarta, Mexico Cape ...

čestitam, Croatia! On July 15th 2014, Croatia passed legislation allowing same-sex couples to become civil partners. Pink News reported the law change on Tuesday, saying: "It means same-sex couples will now enjoy equal inheritance rights, social benefits and tax deductions.  Their unions will be called ”life partnerships” protected by the Constitution."  [Read full article here]  The legislation does not include rights on adoption, but it's an important step in a country where 65% of people recently voted in favour of a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. Campaigners are hopeful that the normalisation of civil partnership  will lead to a wider acceptance of same-sex marriage in the future.  Cabinet Re-shuffle. In other news, David Cameron has appointed Nicky Morgan as the new Equalities Minister. The MP for Loughborough had previously voted against same-sex marriage.  In 2013, she told the Leicester Mercury that marriage was ...

You may remember (or not, it's been a long year...) that some months back, we wrote a post about pride events happening over the summer. We couldn't feature all of them, but now might be a good opportunity to offer a part II. The events that we've chosen to feature have been picked randomly, but we've listed others, too, below.   For events that kick-off after August, we'll do a later post. You lucky, lucky things. First up, NEWCASTLE PRIDE kicks off on Friday July 18th . They have a weekend of music and events including: Shayne Ward, Vengaboys and Sinitta. For those who like their fun with a calorie burn, there's a 5KM fun run, too. You can find out more here On Sunday 20th July , it's BRIGHTON DOGGY PRIDE. This poochy pride celebrates dogs and their owners and is run in association with Coastway Veterinary Group and The Dog's Trust. Crufts it might not be, but there will be classes, refreshments and opportunities to spoil your dog with a ra...

If you're looking to get married this summer, then it isn't too late. From August 30th - 31st, London's Southbank Centre will host a wedding weekend where couples can marry on the Royal Festival Hall stage. If you've already been married, then you're welcome to renew your vows, too. It's all part of the Southbank's Festival of Love  celebrating the passing of equal marriage earlier in the year. The festival runs until the 31st August and you can find their website here The ceremonies are open to all couples regardless of gender, sexuality or age. Providing, of course, that you are legally entitled to be married. Across the weekend, there will be 8 ceremonies during which 20 couples will be married. Each couple will be married separately before their friends and family and they'll be able to enjoy the use of choirs, live music and photographers. Following the ceremony, there will be a range of activities for the newly weds with evening enter...

We're very pleased to announce the launch of our Travel Club *insert fanfare* Through our perfect partner Not Just Travel , you can book your dream trip overseas. Our holiday partner can help tailor make your entire trip: flights, hotels, insurance and transfers can all be booked in a single transaction. It's not just for same-sex couples though, it's for anyone and everyone. In fact, if you're in a same-sex couple, we'd recommend that you consult the FCO website first for travel warnings as some destinations might not be gay-friendly. You can find the website here Let us know what you think via our Twitter,   Facebook  or via our contact form.

Now, I don't want to get on my soapbox and start  chanting 'down with the Patriarchy'  but what's so amazing about same-sex marriages is how they champion new traditions and encourage equality between partners. When same-sex couples get married there's no automatic assumption about surnames in the way that there is in an opposite-sex marriage. Gay couples HAVE to have a conversation about surnames and that's how it should be: people deciding together rather than hat tipping to tradition. Of course, there are a number of options available to same-sex couples: You don't have to change anyone's name . Years ago, a woman took her husband's name to integrate into his family. It was a business transaction taking her from the protection of her father and into to the care of her husband. Today, it's a tradition that is both redundant and yet widely maintained. For same-sex couples, there's no tradition to comply wi...

It was announced today that couples who entered into a civil partnership before same-sex marriage became legal in March 2014 will not have to pay to convert their partnership into marriage.  They will have a year from December 10th 2014 to apply. Once the year is up, they'll then have to pay £45 along with the couples whose civil partnerships have taken place since March.  The news was announced today (July 3rd) in Parliament by Culture Secretary Sajid Jarvis.  The news is likely to be welcomed by gay rights campaigners who were highly critical of the Government's failure to put into place a timetable for conversion. According to the BBC website, draft legislation is being submitted today. We'll keep you updated on any further details. In the meantime, you might find some of our other posts helpful: Civil Partnerships Can be Converted from December 10th What Will a Marriage Offer that a Civil Partnership Doesn't? If We Already Have a Civil Partnership S...

Finally! The Department for Culture, Media and Sport have just announced (26th June 2014) that couples will be able to convert their civil partnerships to marriage from December 10th. This is fantastic news for those who have been waiting to hear a date since March. There isn't much information available yet about how it'll be done, but, as we said previously , there's nothing to suggest it'll be anything too complicated. Here's hoping it's a few postal forms and a small fee. The Government had faced criticism from both same-sex couples and gay rights groups for not setting a date earlier. Although, they had always hinted that it was likely to be close to the end of 2014. Once we hear more, we'll keep you updated. Congratulations to all those who will converting in December :)

On June 22nd 2014, The Guardian reported that a second Anglican priest has defied the Church to marry his same-sex partner. The Rev. Andrew Cain who is currently based in West Hampstead, London, was married on Saturday. It puts the Church of England (COE) in a difficult position. Ever since same-sex marriage became legal in March 2014, the Church has been stuck between it's more liberal congregations and priests, and the more staunch traditionalists from its overseas branches and within the Synod (the church's law-making body). The present Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby , is trying to engage all sides to find a compromise, but it won't be easy, and it might not be enough to avoid a split in the Church. Rev. Cain isn't the first priest to marry a same-sex partner, however. The Church's first was Canon Jeremy Pemberton, who has since been dismissed from his post in the diocese of Southwell and Nottingham. Employed on a fixed-term contract, Canon Pemberto...

A prenuptial agreement is an arrangement made between a couple in which individual assets can be protected in the event that the marriage should fail. Couples are now meeting and marrying later; people enter into relationships with their own finances, their own properties, portfolios or businesses. In previous generations people began married life having been gifted their possessions from family and friends. Today however, we're more financially independent and we bring our own pots to the marriage table. If marriage is the Game of Life, then divorce, by comparison, can descend into a hungry-hippo grab for assets. Nobody wants to believe that a pre-nup is necessary but, when the worst happens, it may be the only thing that makes a bad situation bearable. A pre-nup is about recognising the inherent risk of marriage (unromantic as that may sound) rather than endorsing that risk by failing to protect your interests. Nobody goes on holiday expecting to be hit by a bus, but tha...

It's a question that is well broached by both opposite and same-sex couples. For some, putting a restriction on children would be unthinkable. For other couples however, it is the only workable option for having a ceremony that isn't interrupted by shouts, cries or giggles. The chances are that if you choose the latter option, you might alienate a few of your guests. As someone without children, I think the request is entirely reasonable. I've sat through ceremonies where screaming babies have distracted from the atmosphere and some like to cry in chorus. Ceremonies are not very child friendly anyway. In fact (dare I say it as a wedding blogger?) they're a bit dull in parts. Naturally, children will get bored. For them, the best part of the day is the evening reception where they can run around and play. Children will often help to create a lively, party atmosphere so utilise their energy later on. Perhaps, you might not want to blanket ban the under-18s. Maybe ...

This article was updated in June 2015 Gay marriage may be relatively new here in the UK, but civil partnerships have been around since 2005.  It means that some couples will be celebrating a decade as civil partners in 2015. And ten is a nice round number, isn't it?  Round enough to celebrate with more than just champagne, chocolates or a weekend away. In fact, a decade together is the perfect opportunity for a vow renewal. Of course, in a civil partnership there aren't actually any vows. Couples can exchange a few words (many do), but there's no legal requirement. It doesn't matter, however, whether you had a wedding or a civil partnership, the sentiment is still the same and so, too, are the reasons behind having a vow renewal: celebrating and reaffirming the commitment you both made to your relationship.  Equally, in this last year, couples can now convert their civil partnership into marriage and for many that's something worth making an occ...

Three months on from the legalisation of gay marriage in England and Wales , and we're still seeing the effects brought about by the law change. From June 3rd 2014, British consulates can perform same-sex marriages in certain overseas territories. Providing that: Gay marriage is prohibited by the host government The host state has agreed to allow the consulate to perform the ceremony At least one member of the couple is a British citizen. The ceremony takes place on the property of the consulate The marriage will NOT be recognised by the host country, but it will be recognised by other governments who have legalised same-sex marriage within their own borders. To make this clearer, Debbie and Donna live in Australia,  but neither  of them are British citizens so they  cannot be married in the consulate. Debbie and Donna live in Hong Kong, one is a British citizen but they can't get married because the H...